This week, we’re celebrating the legendary songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. No other writers had as much impact on the Broadway musical.
Their first collaboration, Oklahoma!, ushered in the Golden Age of Broadway in 1943. The writers’ approach to the material was completely character- and plot-driven, with dialogue, songs, and dance forwarding the story in an integrated way not before seen in musical theatre.
What makes their songs endure over eight decades later is their universality both on and off the stage. Just as their musicals enjoy multiple revivals in theatres across the globe, their songs are still enjoying countless interpretations by jazz and pop artists of the American Songbook. This hour, we’ll explore some songs from their earlier musicals.